Geetha

I guess it is over then my search seems to be concluded Thank you dear host of coffee forum With Regards I hope I will be of help to some like you were to me but any more queries hope you'll receive me then too Geetha

Hmm I have only one favourite from back home it is definitely the famous filter or drip coffee. Oddly enough to say it, since I hold a high-nose for my all other preparations of food stuff here in US, nothing matches my mom's coffee really it is the best therapy for bootstrapping you even in the bleariest of times in childhood. Of course my grandma made it by just soaking all the good ground beans in hot water in a large tumbler or glass and let the flavour and color permeate throughout, and added little amount of cold water to cause overall settling action and used to drain the liquid all by hand I mean no machinery involved except the glass of course, and the resultant is a rather rustic and of course wonderfully flavourful cup - a coffee for you, oddly enough I will never compare one to another because each has its benefit, now this is entirely out of the place so I will skimp on it.. I enjoy the vistas that come along with the rustic cup of grandma's coffee that is the village she lives in.. along with the coffee itself.

Ofcourse chicory was a rave in India back in 80's 90's even mid-late 90's, but here is where I beg to differ, I do like chicory but then I am not addicted to it, but yes I'm in love with the purest form of coffee, I love it here too in US but I'm just running the race to match my home coffee somethings just change very slowly.. Coffee I had at home ususlly is a blend of peaberry and some other one I can't remember bought from a company called coffee day and sold under brand name supreme blend.. I know I should look out for this option here too in the US but have been too fazed out in doing it myself I don't fancy losing my apetite for coffee by just looking around so I'd rather seek some expert advice on the things I don't know much about. It would be relatively wrong to say that south indian coffee is more chicory taste .. I know a lot of brands still ue the product by that name but I rather got over chicory and went over to pure coffee but then instant coffee always has to do with chicory I think.. not so sure in that point there.. But I still want to know what coffee type would closely match south indian coffee brew.

Allow me to expatiate on what I have revelled on above there.. I have travelled along here to United States after many years of stay in South India capital for coffee Chennai people all over south india are great coffee lovers and everyone has their favourites. Although north indians are more of tea or chai lovers, here in south people relish their cup of coffee at really all times of the day, well at least two times morning and evening. So after relating this soporific tale I'd rather jump in to the details of my query here. Since coming to NY especially, I've known to experiment to ge details of coffee right (The way I used to savour in India). Sadly for lack of proper intuitive guidance I've stopped way short of one, even though my moka or stove top espresso gives me a quality of home coffee some times when I brew the liquid strong to my taste. But in all I have learnt to cope with it, thanks to my recently discovery of eG I've almost flown back to my earlier stage of rediscovery and in trying to find out what suits best. I had a remotest idia that if some one familiar to south India type of coffee brings to this blog some bits of valueable wisdom it might help me a lot on my way home away from home Thanks

I've always known dalia to whole wheat broken into coarse bits, for making kanchi ( khichdi or gruel) USed to be our favourite for intemperate summers back home, but I still love the nutty presence of it, when I make a porridge with curd. Goes too well with karela.

I love peanut chutney goes well with idlis, dosas, plain rice. From my multitude of trials errors I've prepared an ever ready list on the tip of my mind to use here goes: 1 cup fresh roasted peanuts, 3 Red chillies freshly roasted alongside peanuts, 1 - 2 green chillies, 1 clove garlic, 1 gum ball size tamarind, 1/2 fresh coconut or 1/2 to 3/4 cup dessicated coconut, Salt to taste. Tadka: 1 Red chilli mustard and urad dal whole or halved skinless curry leaves grind all these dry then when they are all ground to an equal size, add water in sufficient quantity to make a paste homogeneous. Then use a little oil (1 tsp) for tadka using the ingredients listed under tadka and let the mustard seeds to splutter add to chutney. Tadka gives a different taste and flavour to the chutney. Some times to an eager admirer of peanut chutney the necessity of tadka is not so great

I've been ever experimenting the ways in which to prepare coffee the way my mother makes it at home. I am never tired of it and even though I have a stable version of coffee available, I not completely at home Pleasae give me some way of preparing coffe the way it used to be at home. I think this especially goes for the people of south India. I know many others too have a love of coffee, but nothing beats the home coffee. Please share your tips for ethereal coffee land today...

By all means if you want a closer look at how were doing it please drop in home, I hope any one around our place in NY will drop in. I 'm placing the classes just in case some one is keen to learn from me Im home at all times but then I'm busy on my eG posts I am living in Astoria, NY let me know if you are able to come this week end I will keep raw materials ready for you to learn from, may be you could also join in for lunch .. will be awaiting youre response. I don't want to offend any one here but my classses are only on the need to know basis and will be free for all to make it.. we'll see how we can plan it or impromptu anyway works Bring your interest

I have a batch of Dosa batter ready after ferment, and it is good to make with too. When I retrieved the batter from the oven where I'd left it to ferment it was a pool of porous mass, and also had an odor of sourness to it, even if you're not used to it take off and mix it evenly with a ladle, then the odor goes out, it is the fermentation release, nothing to worry about. If you are trying it out just be self assured more than anything else, it will turn out just fine then. I will pore the batter to the middle of a hot griddle or a non-stick pan and circle it with a ladle, to the sides and even it out, then keep the flame on medium low, when the dosa surface facing pan is turning light golden brown I will press, and pull in stripes with a thin spatula all over the surface, to spread the semi-dried batter on top to an even layer, then leave it until the lower surface is brown to dark brown in color, then I roll over the paper thin crepe or fold in two halves before removing it from pan. I can't resist it when I have the batter on hand I love making dosas too. I hope I leave some for my husband he loves it too. Tip: add some rice flour (4 Tbsps) to each batch that you use just before you pour it on the pan, this adds to crispness of the outcome. Also you must store in fridge to prevent from extra sourness and also spoilage after the ferment period of 36 hrs

I might lean on to the chinese version of preparation here to prepare chicken and vegetable stir fry, Ive used it a couple of times and it comes from the Argo® corn starch and Martin Yan 's cooking recipe-booklet here it is then as it is in the cookbook: This recipe is similar to the chinese-restaurant favourite, Moo Goo Pan, which takes its name from a province in northern China. Moo Goo means mongolia.Gai and Pan refer to rice and chicken. Under 15 minutes Makes 4 servings 3/4 lb boneless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch cubes 1Tbsp minced ginger or 2 tsp ground ginger 2Tbsp ARGO® corn starch, divided 1/2 cup chicken broth 2 Tbsp soy sauce 2 tsp dark sesame oil 2 Tbsp Mazola® oil 1 cup sliced mushrooms* 1 cup snow peas, halved* 1 small red bell pepper cut in thin strips* 4 green onions, cut into 3/4-inch pieces* 1. In a medium bowl, toss chicken with ginger and 1 tablespoon corn starch to coat lightly; set aside. 2. In a small bowl, combine remaining 1 tablespoon corn starch, chicken broth, soy sauce and sesame oil, set aside. 3. In wok or a large skillet heat oil over medium-heat. Add chicken and cook stirring quicklyand frequently (stir fry) 3 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. 4. Add mushrooms, snow peas, red pepper and green onions and stir fry 4 to 5 minutes or until red pepper is tender-crisp. 5. Stir soy sauce mixture until blended then pour into wok. Stirring constantly, bring to boil and boil 1 minute. Serve with rice. *Time saver Tip: substitute one 12 or 16-oz package frozen Asian vegetables for above // This recipe was also on the package( no P47207104Z) cover of Argo® corn starch I did enjoy making it very much and best of all is that it s so similar in taste to the indian chinese preparations, Ive adjusted my chilli additions slightly but otherwise it is perfect for me, and I also added milk 2Tbsp to 1. step above it helps tenderize the chicken better. And I did forgo the chicken broth but used water instead of it. work fine.

since I discovered nutella I'm in chocolate heaven I like to have nutella coated with dessicated coconut and slivered almonds both from stores locally.. also strawberry dug into nutella gives me a taste of the best cake out of this world so many flavours in thes simple combination itself is it me or am I imagining the cake taste as I have nutella coated straberries yummmm~!!!

Please let me add to this my one main concern for food stuff here cooked ones, are meant to be eaten with in one day of its preparation and the fridge is no good either with preserving freshness of it. It is for the energy or prana that we consume food in first place, So I prefer to take a fresh approach at our techniques here, the lesser you use the older food the better off you are to wards health and beauty therin. So be careful you don't get in to the grind of leaving leftovers stocked in refrigerators for week and end up eating off fridge to stave of hunger. I see one way over this situation, I believe in not using or rather overusing the regrigerator because it does no good for the food stuf you put into it. I leave most of my food outside and there fore make sure it is eaten by the next day.. no food stuff stored for days for me. This is really a scientific fact that the fresh prepared food offer us life energy it is different fro mwhat we call carbohydrates and fats, it is the life energy you partake from from plants to fruits to all of the animal kingdom too. There fore fresh veg's and fruits (first preference are the greatest source of prana on this planet) you should be sufficiently effuced with prana to do your daily activities fruitfully in future May God Us bless for future successful ventures in to unknown world of truth and silence and bliss

Two tips here 1. Dosa batter prepared and placed inside room temp oven ( for fermenting stable temp helps ) for a period of 36 hours. Batter prepared by mixing rice flour 1 cup , urad or papad flour 2 cups, with adequate about of water to make a thick batter add salt to it and let it ferment. 2. Use dessicated cocnut for everything else except for cutney, can prepare tomato cutney with ease using only onion tomatoes and chillies sauteed and then blended using a hand blender in the vessel used to sautee the vegetables . I use the dutch oven(you guessed it) so the ingredients dont fly out as soon as the blender goes on. Any way you can also use any other divice for grinding other than the immersion blender( which is a very handy tool for quick preps), then make a tadka of curry leaves mustard and red chillies.

Another one of those pointers for the harried persone behinf the startup kitchen to know... It helps to know what you like the most for instance when you are utmost subjected to think that you're not up to it today you can do somethings to inspre you out of your doldrums take a sip at hot flavourful tea(Taj mahal from India ) lipton and any other you find suitable for your time of day do take care to drink hot for it steams you up and energizes you to your taks with a lot of help from others you can make it happen to you and make easily through the task of you day Im not telling any thing new but just a suggestions instead of taking out take a sip into your favourite drink and it will help infinitely more when you are happy to do a certain thing than when you're not You'll notice that the happier you are in the moment of your preparing of food the easir it is to complete your task is to take up and to do it right from start to finish Good luck

Okay I have it the results are mmm very good food, thanks to all of you.. some hoe I think that I am a good cook Bye later

I think this issue is being overthrown Mostly people in India tend to disagree about anything at first and have major cultural social issues of all types it is almost impossible how this issue will be received in public since you will have to face it some time you will go in market.. but there are certain pointers from other successful ones already thriving in those business zones (may be Hooters is differen from all existing ones in India and that will be good if that is the case) like for instance pizza corner has branches that are family favourites even though it isn't the most culturally accepted form of food it is grandly been taken in to our midst and the min set s are changing too.. the success is not the item in itself but the mode in which it is offered, it had a nice culture felling attached that people going there can enjoy and be accustomed to.. I believe in the manner of the service matters a lot to Indians are they really respected here makes a major factor to take account, apart from that the tastes differences are easy and will later blend well enough Indians are by far very accepting to other cultures as long as they receive the respect that they deserve to in effect helps the outer business to thrive well in India. Love to see it make a haunting~!! one too (for generation to come that is)

I've been thinking of it myself, I have had the opportunity of guidance from within a lot of times and peculiar thing about me is my absentmindedness results from overdoses of these intuitive guidances. I wonder who is giving me all those (not that I do mind but it is confusing for me to follow when too many of those guides are following me around in the kitchen while I cook around. For instance if I am making tarka for dal some one will tell me to my moms standard tarka and when I reach for the mustard s\eeds to begin with some one will start giving me another sset of those ingredient s for tarka hmm have you tried ginger and and green chilli and I will say of course no , reply will be why not , I will think now what am I to do go for mustard or to reach out for ginger from the fridge... I will stand for 1 minute thinking about it. It normally doesn't help to stand and watch because no one will guide you here and the oil for tarka is getting over heated so I will grab ginger and start to reach for the flame reducer knob at the same time take my kitchen knife out(I use only one and am a great fan of its sharp blade) helps to have a good one do your duty Any way I do all these things in a matter of seconds, only to realize that no matter what there will be alyas more of those guidances coming through have you put those dried vadiyams( mother in laws pre salted and dried kadoi leaves mix made into rounds for future convenient use)... So I don't have a moment of peace while preparing these dishes which I consider my greatest misfortune and luck at the same time it is how you take it right Well I gladly say that I am in reeceipt of a lots of peoples guidances may be from the yonder group so I don't want to insult them it may be my revered family fro mlong ago . So I try it with my best intentions, so it helps a lot to tell my friends on the eG board the truth about all this rush of information I pass on to them when ever I do, the idea to substitue poha ( a type of flattened rice for oats bran came from an unknown source too) well I know they are all meaning to do good, about all and thanks for the tips too your children here on earth need it too may be they already know us and are offering us help too. The mayan calender says that we are all moving too fast and the time has speeded up I do believe it so much is appening in and around us in so fast a period of time it is so fast we can't notice it any more, all people around the world are seeking a healthier opportunity to live and thrive in divine state of happiness, well tomorrow is never same as today, so it s true with our eG too, how many changes occur soo soon, I learnt a lot in the last one week that I am amazed at it right now, I hope to share meaning fully and help others realizethe gift of help that others givee to us. Its good to help and promises to get better each time some reaches out in kindness and desires to help some happiness to sprees through us..

I would like to invite all of you teacher s of indian and any other cuisine with interesting tips for work out in kitchen would help out great deal if you'd add posts of your cooking classes as they begin, and may be some of your typical hints too.. like how to boil water Love to all you gentle guides out there ready to take care of us inspired beginners

with a lot of confidence I had made those vadas out of zucchini and urad dal flour last fourty minutes, and made a rasam from tomatoes with lemon and the rasam powder I had described in one other thread. Rasam came out to my satisfaction as it does mostly , but hey the vadas are not any different if any thing I like it plain now hom am I to blame I am inured to tasting good plain soft vadas. My husband will tell me how they are today Ill see if I post y reviews of them ones. Bye The ideas have inspired me to so much I will hopefully continue to try. Thank You for your suggestions Love :wub:edit: I have store bought the urad flour it comes under the name of papad flour and is available in all indian stores.

ofcourse I was misspelling there it is creativechore@yahoogroups.com http://groups.yahoo.com/group/creativechore/ I believe it will be a free for all forum and share your good views for others to take hint from.. but I 'm open to any other suggestions for it too, on the other hand if you take to a unknown corner we will be not able to benefit others like who know they migh be interested

I've also made a group out of interest for viewers so please join me in our group of cheativechore@yahoogroups.com

For some people it is an art itself and therefore dedication is self evident and easy to come by. But for others like us there are time s when eve though you like your own food better you resort to some thing else options galore(...) So if your needs are to take and make this chore of cooking an easier and happier one do add your pointer because it will help food lovers and haggered cooks of all age and groups Please do find in your chest the one main tip to help enterprenewrs of starting a home kitchen to succeed. Thats all the help I aak of you some interesting stories will do here. Release your cherished wish here and become one with a cause of cooking freely. Make a healthier and a happier outlook

I love poha since I came here to us I've been using the recipe indiagirl mentioned here .. with poha substituted with oats bran.. helps to cook with it you know healthwise, only thing I've to mention is that oats need a lot less soaking before putting into the wok but also be careful for not forming clumps for they cause a kind of stickiness later you'll know when to time it right if you try two times.. good luck if you need hints take me up on it and pm me.. laterif there are too many pm's I'll send the complete set of steps on blog

I'm trying for rasam vada with zuchhini in vadas lovv

how about puris and pudhina chutney I don't even want my aloo curry with it if it is there then I love it any way of course puris are fried rotis, with pudhina (mint) chutney being made of zeera, ginger, tid of tamarind, green chilli a small amout is enough for flavour only, one garlic clove, and coriander leaves and last not the least mint leaves 1 cup.. I don't know any other way.. I wade my way